Game apparatus



Aug. 16, 1938. E. KRAMER ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed July 18, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 1 d an an m adhm r e im 6 EM e M THE/R ATTORNEY Wha -401 0Aug. 16, 1938.

E. KRAMER ET AL Filed July 18, 1936 GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. 16, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Gitelson, LosAngeles, Calif., assignors to Exhibit Supply Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application July 18,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to coin-controlled game apparatus of theprojected ball type and has for one principal object the provision of anovel free play control means for releasing balls for play responsive tomechanism operated by played balls.

The invention further provides a novel score indicating meansco-operable with the aforementioned free play control.

Still another novel provision is a master switch and a ball operatedswitch mechanism for resetting the aforesaid score indicating meansindependently of the free play control means.

Additional objects and novel features of the invention will appear asthe following detailed description proceeds in view of the annexeddrawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of our improved game apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuits and mechanismof the device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken along line 5--5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional side view of the cabinet showing the master resetand counter mecha- 30- nism, and is taken along line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a plan detail of the master reset ball device. taken alongline l-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan detail of the counter and operating solenoidtherefor, taken along line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a detail of the front of the open cabinet showing the counterand master switch, and is taken along line 9--9 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail in section of a 40' master roll overswitch.

A preferred form of our novel game apparatus is shown in Fig. l, andincludes a horizontally extensive housing member having a front wall l0and a ball playing surface member l2 sloped slightly from thehorizontal.

Adjacent the juncture of the ball playing member l2 and the side wall Mis a rail 16 forming a raceway i8 for projected balls, and having a sideopening it communicating with a ball guide- 50- way 22 formed byparallel side rails 22' having an entrance opening or end 24 and aportion 23 of one of the side rails 22 being continued to extenddiagonally on across to the side wall 11,

thus preventing movement of balls therebeyond 55 to. the region of frontwall I0.

1936, Serial No. 91,354

Disposed according to a desired scheme or pattern on the upper part ofthe ball field l2, are a plurality of scoring aisles 28, each comprisinga pair of short parallel side rails spaced apart a distanceapproximating the diameter of the ball used in play.

In the ball surface portion 12 of each of the scoring aisles 28 is aslot 29 extended with the axis of this aisle and communicating with theinterior of the housing beneath the surface or panel l2. On theunderside of the latter panel l2 are secured a plurality of roll-overswitches 34 of the general type shown in Fig. 5, and having a pair ofsuperposed normally open contact springs 38-48 and an ofiset actuatingfinger 42 (respectively 34, 38', 40', 42' in Fig. 3), the finger orroll-over extension 42 being adapted to protrude slightly through theslots 29 so as to be depressed to close switches 34 when a ball rollsover this finger portion 42.

Disposed across the guide 22 in Figs. 1 and. 4 is a gate 44 in the formof an inverted U-shaped member having a bar portion normally extendedlaterally across the side rails 22' and restin thereon, and having itsside legs 46, 41 extended through the ball surface or panel I 2 to theunderside thereof where one leg 41 extends into the core portion of agate-lifting solenoid 48 (Fig. 4) such that when the solenoid isenergized gate 44 will be raised to permit balls to pass to the lowerexit end of guide 22.

On the front wall H! of the housing is a coin slide mechanism 50 havinga slide 52 movable inwardly to operate a free-play switch 54 during theinitial state of the inward movement, and a full stroke or game releaseswitch 56 at the end of its inward stroke, this being for the purpose ofreleasing gate 44 to permit restrained or stored balls to move bygravity toward exit l8 and into playing position.

The coin slide mechanism may be of any suitable type having a sufficientamount of lost or ineffective motion to permit inward movement of theslide bar a distance far enough to operate the switch 54 but not theswitch 56 in Fig. 1, the switch 58 being operable only when a coin isinserted in the slide.

A novel score indicating device forming part of the free play controlmechanism is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises a vertical cabinet 60extended from the rear wall I l of the housing, and having a horizontalshelf part 62 with a pair of oppositely descending ball ramps 64, 66thereon (see also Figs. 2 and 3). At the lowermost end of each ramp 64,66, is a ball-lifting solenoid 68,

I0, each having a plunger 68, i0 movable upwardly to raise a ball sothat it will fall onto the opposite ramp when the solenoid winding is energized. This action is best understood by reference to Fig. 2, theplunger or lift Ill being shown in dotted lines and a ball liftedthereby being shown in dotted lines in the adjoining ramp 64.

Provided at the higher end of ramp BB is a passover switch 34 (see Fig.3) having its operating finger 42 disposed in the path of balls movingin this ramp, and this switch is normally closed but a ball resting onfinger 42 would hold this switch open. A plurality of balls, suitablycolored or marked, are normally disposed in ramp 66, as shown in Fig. 1,so that switch 34' is normally held open. Its function along with thatof the rest of the mechanism will appear from the description ofoperation which appears hereinafter.

At the lower (left) end of the front ramp 64 is another pass-over switchH4, the contacts I :8, I20 of which are normally open unless a ball(such as H6 in Figs. 1 and 10) rests thereon. A ball H3 normally restsover the lift plunger 68', and if a player has left one or more freeplayballs (transferred from the rear ramp by scoring), the switch H4 will beclosed, and as this switch is in circuit with the solenoids 68 and I08,being the ball restoring and counter solenoids, respectively, theoperation of push button 90 or switch 54 by either the player orproprietor will be ineffective to actuate these latter solenoids unlessa free play ball H6 is positioned in front ramp B4 in addition to thespacing or waiting ball H3 normally resting over lift plunger 68therein.

Where the player does not desire to avail himself of the free plays hemay have set up and he leaves the machine with indicating balls restingin the front ramp 54, it will be necessary for the proprietor to resetthe machine, and for this purpose we have provided a novel master switchand reset control mechanism.

On the underside of the cabinet wall is a switch 90 having a pair ofnormally open contacts 92, 94 of the push-button type, and mounted onthe inner surface of the bottom wall is an inclined master ball surfacemember 96 (Figs. 6 and '7) having on its upper surface a ball guide rail98 which curves back on itself to form an open lower end I00, at whichend normally rests a master ball 99 against a projecting arm I02, thelatter being pivotally mounted for operation by electromagnet m4. Theprojecting arm I02 has a flexible contact member I03 adapted to be heldin closed contacting relation to armature I92 by the weight of ball 99resting thereagainst.

A roll-over switch 88 with normally open contacts BI, 93 is mounted onthe bottom of board 96 and has its roll-over finger Ifii protruded ontothe upper surface of. board 96 in the usual manner, parallel. with astraight side of rail 98 and also with a short aisle rail 91. Positionedat the upper end of rail 97 is a movable rebound gate 35 adapted toprevent ball 99 from bounding back to normal position once it has beenprojected by arm Hi2, and thus to assure that the master ball will rollover switch finger I0 I.

Mounted on the underside of the main play board I2 is a counter solenoidI88 and a suitable form of tally or counter H0 having a crank arm I I ilinked by arm I09 to the plunger of the solenoid l (18. This counterconfronts the locked door D in the front cabinet wall so as to bereadily accessible to the proprietor.

Operation Assuming the parts to be in the condition of Fig. 1, andreferring conveniently between the several figures, particularly thecircuit diagram of Fig. 4, the operation of the device may be initiatedby insertion of a coin in the slide 52 and pushing the latter inwardlyto the end of its stroke in the usual manner. This will close the twoswitches 54 and 56, closing a circuit for the gate solenoid 48 frombattery 67 via conductor 82, through switch 54, conductor 80, thewinding of solenoid 48, conductor 16 and conductor 14, back to battery.

The energization of solenoid 48 raises gate 44 and balls, as indicatedin dotted lines, resting thereagainst will descend toward opening 20into the raceway I8 and the projecting-raceway, whereupon the operator,having released coin slide 52, operates a usual form of ball projectingplunger (not shown) to propel balls out onto the field I2. By skillfulmanipulation of the projector, the balls may variously pass through theseveral scoring aisles 28, operating their respective roll-over switches34.

Assuming that the switch 34 in Fig. 5 is operated, the ball liftingsolenoid Ill will be energized from battery via conductor 83, closedswitch 34, conductor 85, the winding of solenoid ID, back to battery byconductor I4. Since at this time a ball is resting at the lowerright-hand end of the rear ramp 68, the lift or plunger I0 of thesolenoid will raise a ball over onto the upper righthand end of thefront ramp 64, to descend to the bottom thereof at the lower left-handend in Fig. l where it rests next to the spacing ball I I3 whichoverlies the lift or plunger 68 of the solenoid 68. In this manner anumber of balls may be passed onto the front ramp to indicate theplayers score and to condition the apparatus for further free play.

When the player has finished, he may again push the slide 52 inwardly alimited distance without depositing another coin, and in so doing hewill close the free play switch 54, and since the balls in the rear ramp66 have descended by a distance of at least one ball, switch 34' will beclosed and switch I I4 in the front ramp will also be closed, andsolenoid 68 will be operated to lift balls from ramp 64 back onto ramp66; such balls will descend in the latter over switch 34', making thecircuit once for the passage or transfer of every ball from the frontramp to the back until there are no more balls for transfer-in otherwords, until the players previous score has been cleared from the rampand switch H4 again gpens, leaving only the spacing ball H3 in ramp Ifdesired, the free play switch may be operated by a control separate fromthe coin slide, or a push button switch may be installed on the cabinetto replace the switch 54 as it is represented in Fig. 1. Suchmodifications are optional, as is the proprietary switch 88 andassociated operating .and counting mechanism, described below.

Meanwhile, the gate solenoid 48 has also been actuated to releasewaiting or played balls into the lower guideway 22 for a further freeplay in like manner as was done when the coin slide was initiallyoperated.

The circuits established in the foregoing sequence of operations are asfollows: Slide 52 closes switch 54 which connects battery through thenow closed switch 34 over conductors and I9 to I8 and through thesolenoid 48 via conductors 16, I4 back to battery, thus raising gate 44releasing balls for play.

Switches 34' and H4 being closed by the score set up, current fromconductor 19 also flows to conductor I5 through switch H4 and dividesthrough solenoid windings 68 and I08 to return to T4 and battery, thussimultaneously operating the restoring lift 68 and free play counter II0.

If there are more than one extra or free play balls in the scoring ramp(in addition to spacing ball I I3) the aforesaid circuit throughrestoring solenoid 68 will be broken each time a restored ball passesover switch 34 until only one ball is left in front ramp 64, thusopening switch H4 therein, and the counter mechanism will operatecorrespondingly.

In the event that a player scores but leaves the machine withoutclearing the score ramp 64 of balls, the auxiliary or master push buttonswitch 99 (see also Fig. 6) may be operated by the proprietor who willhold the latter switch in depressed condition, whereupon solenoid IMwill attract its projecting armature I92 to project ball 99 past gateI95 and over switch Hlljeach time the ball operates switch IIH, the liftsolenoid 68' will operate to clear ramp 64 of balls; at the same timecounter III] will step one digit for each ball cleared. The master ball99 will be reprojected each time it returns against the contact I93 onarmature I92, which closes a circuit through the winding of its ownmagnet I04, master switch 99 being meanwhile depressed or closed.

The purpose of the master ball mechanism for operating lift solenoid I38lies in the relatively long period of time during which the switch 98will remain closed while ball 99 is passing over finger IflI thereof. Inthe absence of such a provision, the tally mechanism could be stepped upindefinitely without operating lift plunger 68' by rapidly operating thepush button 99, because the work to be done by solenoid 68 makes thelatter sluggish when compared with the easier working solenoid I08.There is, of course, .a certain entertainment element in thisarrangement also, in so far as observers of the resetting operation willhear the movements of the master ball within the cabinet and at the sametime see the external effects of its operation.

The tally device III) is a necessary proprietary adjunct of the machinefor the purpose of determining the relative number of free plays whichthe machine has given, as compared with the moneys deposited in the coinchute. It is also a form of check on the playing qualities of a givenarrangement of hazards and aisles on the play board.

The foregoing resetting operation by the master switch 99 is. effectedby establishing a circuit (Fig. 4) from conductor I4 and battery 61through closed contacts 92, 94 of switch 99 and through the winding ofthe projector magnet H94, armature I02 and contact I93 thereof .andthence back to conductor 82 of battery 61. This operates the ballprojector magnet I94 and ball 99 passes out onto the board 96 and overswitch finger IIlI closing switch 88 to establish a circuit for liftsolenoid 88 from battery Bl via conductor 82, contacts 9!, 93 of switch88, conductor I5 through the winding 68 .and conductor 14 back tobattery.

Simultaneously with the establishment of the foregoing circuit throughsolenoid 68, a circuit is established through counter solenoid I09 frombattery conductor I4, through winding I08, conductor I5, contacts 9|, 93of switch 88, and conductor 82 back to battery. Thus solenoid I08 isenergized each time ball 99 passes over switch finger I9! and steps thecounter H accordingly.

It will be apparent that the game elements and mechanisms, described indetail herein for purposes of illustration, are susceptible of variationwithout departing from the scope of the invention, and we do not intendto be limited to the precise details recited except as may behereinafter provided by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A game apparatus having switch mechanism operable by means involvedin the operation. of

the game apparatus, a manual control, score indicating means comprisinga pair of ball retaining members positioned side by side and tilted inopposite directions, a plurality of balls normally distributed in apredetermined manner in said members, means for transferring one of saidballs in one said retaining member to the other thereof responsive tothe actuation. of said switch mechanism, and means controlled by saidmanual control mechanism for restoring balls transferred as aforesaidone at a time back to the said retaining member from which they wereremoved.

2. A score-indicating and control device for use in a game apparatushaving an inclined ball playing board with ball operated switchesthereon and a manually operable control, said device comprising a pairof adjacently positioned and oppositely tilted ball retaining membersboth arranged in view of the player and one of which normally retains aplurality of indicating balls, electrically operable means fortransferring balls from one of said retaining members to the otherthereof, ball-operated switch means in each of said retaining members,one of the said transferring means being operable by one of saidballo-perated switches in said playing board and the other saidtransferring means being controlled by said manually operable controlcooperably with the said ball-operated switches in said retainingmembers.

3. A device for game apparatus, said device comprising a pair ofadjacent inclined ball ramps and a determined number of balls therein,electrical means for transferring balls from one ramp to another, switchmeans operated by an instrumentality employed in the playing of the gameto actuate said electrical means to transfer balls one at a time fromone particular ramp to the other, and a selectively operable switcharranged for manual control and ball operated switch means in said rampsand actuated by a predetermined disposition of said balls in said rampscooperably with said selectively operable switch to operate saidelectrical means and effect return of balls transferred .as first aboveset forth, back to the ramp from which they were received.

4. A device for use in game apparatus of the type having ball playingmeans, said device comprising a plurality of inclined ball retainingmembers arranged in close proximity, a determined number of indicatingballs arranged in said retaining members, transfer meansoperably-controlled by a ball played in the game to transfer balls oneat a time from one of said retaining members to another of the same,together with means for restoring transferred balls one at a time backto the retaining member from which they were transferred as aforesaid,said lastmentioned means being operably controlled by a selectivelyactuated device co-operable with balloperated means actuated by apredetermined arrangement of balls in said retaining members.

5. Ball-indicating mechanism for use with game apparatus and the likeand comprising a pair of elongated ball-retaining ramps positioned inclose proximity one to the other and inclined in opposite directions,electrically operable means at the lower end of each of said ramps andeffective when energized to raise a ball out of its respective ramp intothe upper end of the other said ramp, means including an electriccircuit for each of said electrical means to energize the latter, andswitch means in said ramps and connected in said electrical circuits forcontrolling the operation of said electrical means when balls aredisposed in said ramps in a predetermined manner.

6. A game apparatus having master control means for releasing the gamefor limited play, a game switch operated by an instrumentality employedin playing the game, a free play switch for releasing saidinstrumentality for repeated play without the necessity of having toactuate said master control in its normal releasing function, indicatingmechanism in the form of a pair of ramps each constructed to hold aplurality of balls in serial arrangement therein in sight of the player,said ramps being disposed in side by side relation and inclined inopposite directions each with respect to the other, a solenoid arrangedat the lower end of each said ramp and each said solenoid having aplunger attractable thereby to engage a ball at the lower end of itsrespective ramp and move said ball over into the upper end of theadjoining ramp, an electric circuit including said game switch and oneof said solenoids whereby the latter may be operated by the former inthe playing of the game, a second circuit including the other one ofsaid solenoids and said free play switch together with control switchmeans arranged in said ramps for operation by balls therein and arrangedin circuit with the aforesaid solenoid circuits to control the operationof the latter in accordance with a predetermined arrangement of balls insaid ramps.

'7. Indicating mechanism including oppositely inclined ball storagemembers arranged in close proximity, electrical transferring means atthe lower end of each storage member for moving a ball over into theneighboring storage member, means operably controlled by mechanism theoperation of which is to be indicated for operating said transferringmeans in one of said storage members, selectively operable means foroperating the transferring means in an adjoining storage member, andswitch mechanism operated by balls disposed in said storage members in apredetermined manner for operably controlling said selectively operablemeans.

8. Tally means including .a pair of oppositely inclined ball storagerunways in side by side relation, electrical means at the lower end ofeach runway for moving balls one at a time into the other runway, afirst switch for operating one of said electrical means and operablycontrolled by means employed in a mechanism the operation of which is tobe tallied, a second switch means for operating the other saidelectrical means, together with control switch means arranged foroperation by balls disposed in a predetermined manner in said runways asa result of transfer as aforesaid, said control switch being arrangedwhen operated as aforesaid to control the subsequent operation of saidmechanism.

9. Game apparatus having a ball playing surface with ball operatedswitches and coin control mechanism to release the game for play, afreeplay and score-indicating mechanism comprising: an inclined runwayin which are stored balls for play and having a gate operable to releaseballs for play therefrom; electrical means controlled by said coincontrol to open said gate; a first rack normally retaining a determinednumber of balls, and a second ball rack positioned near said first rack,both said racks being arranged in view for observation of the ballstherein; switch means in said racks; electrical transferring means fortransferring a ball from said first to said second rack, and saidtransferring means being operably controlled by the aforesaid balloperated switches in said game, and a second electrical transferringmeans operably controlled by said switch means in the racks cooperablwith manually operable switch means for the purpose of restoringtransferred balls from said second rack back to said first rack.

10. An indicating mechanism including oppositely inclined ramps arrangedside by side and each having article transferring means near its lowerend and operable to transfer an article from the lower end of one rampover into the upper end of a neighboring ramp, a first means forcontrolling the operation of one of said transferring means wherebyarticles may be transferred from one particular ramp to a secondadjoining ramp, .a manually operable control, and control means providedin said ramps for operation by articles therein and so arranged andoperatively associated with said manually operable control as to effectrepeated automatic operation of the transferring means in said secondramp to restore articles previously transferred into the latter backtosaid first or particular ramp from which the articles originally weretransferred.

11. An indicating mechanism for use with amusement apparatus and thelike, said mechanism including a pair of oppositely inclined adjacentramps adapted to retain articles of a nature such that they willgravitate to the lower end of the several ramps, transferring means nearthe lower end of each of said ramps and operable totransfer an articlefrom the lower end of one ramp over into the upper end of an ad jacentramp, there normally being a predetermined number of articles in aparticular one of said ramps and at least one article in the other saidramp, control means in each ramp and operated by .articles therein, andthe control means in said other ramp being arranged near the lower endthereof for operative engagement by said one article normally therein, afirst control means arranged apart from said ramps for operation by anagency other than said articles for effecting operation of thetransferring means in said particular ramp so as to transfer articlesinto said other ramp, and a second control means also arranged apartfrom said ramps for control by an agency rather than said articles andarranged for cooperation with said control means in the ramps whereby toeffect repeated automatic operation of the transferring means in saidother ramp to re turn all articles save one therein back to saidparticular ramp.

EUGENE KRAMER. PERCY SHIELDS. MILTON GETELSON.

